


Lost and Found

by sparkinglovingheart



Series: Loved You Yesterday, Love You Still [9]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Childhood Memories, Children's Stories, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dress Up, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Napping, Non-Sexual Age Play, Other, Post-Civil War, Thumb-sucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6166529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkinglovingheart/pseuds/sparkinglovingheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wanda reminds Bucky of a girl he used to know. Post Civil War, where we're assuming everyone turns out happy and alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> I don't actually really like how this turned out but I had the idea in my head for awhile and I just wanted to write it down. Figured it wasn't getting any better and I might as well post it as it is.

Rebecca Barnes had light brown hair and blue eyes. She had been small for her age, but overflowing with joy and life. Bucky had three siblings. She was his favorite.

He was the one who tied her pigtails and fixed her jumprope. He played hopscotch with her and taught her how to swim, ride a bike and throw a punch. Whenever he found a spare coin, he always gave it to her, and when he had nightmares, he stayed up with her and told her stories until she fell asleep again and before he left for the army, she had hung onto him the tightest and cried the longest, begging him to please come home soon. 

 

“Bucky, you wanna play with me?” 

The one standing in front of him in 2016 was wearing a little, ruffled pink dress and hopeful expression. She had dark brown hair in pigtails, big green eyes, the sweetest little accent, and she was small for her age. Her name was Wanda, and she was Steve’s little girl. 

Well, as little as a twenty-one year old could get, anyway. After having his mind fucked over so many times, the idea that an adult could regress to the mentality of a child wasn’t that surprising to Bucky. It definitely wasn’t surprising that Steve would care for her either, firstly because that was just the kind of person Steve was, and second, because Wanda was pretty lovable. 

“You wanna play hide and seek?” she asked again, sitting down next to him on the couch. 

“Yeah, baby,” he smiled at her, “I’d love to. Where’s Daddy?” 

“With Sam,” she put her thumb in her mouth, “They went to the store. Can we play hide and seek?”

He nodded, “You want to hide or count first?”

“Hide!” she jumped up and ran off, “Don’t look!”

Bucky laughed and started to count to ten. He had played hide and seek with Wanda numerous times and she always hid in the same spot. In turn, he always pretended that it was really, really hard to find her. He looked just about everywhere else before calling, “I think you beat me!”

Wanda giggled and ran out from behind the curtains into his arms, “Here I am!”

“Oh, there you are!” he said in much surprise, “You won, didn’t you? You’re such a smart girl. Don’t tell your daddy I said this, but you definitely don’t get it from him. Speaking of which, he told me that this is around the time you need a nap.” 

“Do I have to?” she looked almost sad. 

Bucky thought for a moment then grinned and picked her up, positioning her on his hip, “You know what? Naps are boring. Let’s watch TV.” 

 

Bucky didn’t teach Wanda how to punch-she already had some insane magic powers that nobody understood-and he had no opportunity to teach her to swim or ride a bike. But he could still tie her pigtails, play hide and seek, read her stories and let her watch TV instead of taking a nap because naps were boring and both of them knew it. 

“You’re getting attached to her,” Pietro told him quietly one day. He had to speak quietly, Wanda was just a few feet away playing with her blocks. Bucky watched as she carefully built up a small tower and giggled and clapped her hands when it fell down. 

“Well,” he said, “I guess.” 

“She likes you too,” he didn’t sound annoyed by it, which was surprising, because Pietro did not trust people around Wanda easily. After what had happened to her, Bucky couldn’t blame him. He took a sip of his coffee and nodded, “She’s a sweetheart.”

“She’s also very vulnerable,” there was an edge to his voice now, “Extremely trusting.” 

“I know,” Bucky nodded again, “I know.” 

And Pietro knew that he knew after that and that he meant it. 

 

“I was a girl in the village doing alright, then I became a princess overnight…” Wanda sang, twirling around the living room. Bucky looked up and smiled. She had her tiara on that Steve had gotten her and one of Natasha’s old gowns she’d worn on missions that she’d passed down to her daughter for playing dress up. 

“Bucky, guess which princess I am?” she ran to sit in his lap.

“Hmm,” he tickled her, “Sofia.” 

“Nooo,” she giggled, “Now I’m Ariel!”

“Oh, you’re a mermaid?” he grinned, “Does that mean I get to throw you in the ocean?”

She pointed to her feet, “Not yet, ‘cause Ursula gave me legs! I wanna be Cinderella now. Can you tell me Cinderella?” 

“You really love that story don’t you?” he chuckled as he rocked her, “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Wanda, who was smart and brave and loved by her whole family.” 

“Bucky!” she laughed, ‘That’s not Cinderella!”

“Oh, that’s right. See, I was just telling the story of my favorite princess. Which is you, by the way.” 

“I’m not a princess. Just a pretend one.” 

“You’re a princess to me,” he said, kissing the top of her head, “And to your mom and dad and brother. If so many people believe it, it must be true, right?” 

“Maybe,” she sounded uncertain, but snuggled closer to him, “M’sleepy.” 

That was good. Wanda must have been feeling really exhausted if she admitted she was tired. Bucky kept rocking her as she sucked her thumb and hoped the motion would soothe her to sleep, “That’s okay, honey. You just relax. I’m right here. Mom and Dad are in the other room.” 

“Want Lorna,” she whispered, looking around. Bucky picked up the stuffed animal off the floor and placed her in Wanda’s arms, “There you go, princess. Man, your dad is going to be so jealous that I got you to take a nap.” 

She laughed quietly, “You stay?”

“That’s right, sweetheart. I’m gonna stay with you,” he lay back against the armrest of the couch and pulled a blanket over the two of them, “Nothing’s going to hurt my princess.” 

Wanda squirmed a little at first but settled herself down and seemed pretty content just relaxing in his arms, “Night, Bucky.” 

He was drifting off himself, “Sweet dreams, Rebecca.” 

She opened her eyes a little bit, “Who’s Rebecca?”

“Hmm?” 

“You said, ‘goodnight, Rebecca.’ 

Bucky froze, ghosting one quick glance over her face with big, questioning green eyes. He shook his head and rubbed her back, “Nothing, sweetie. I just misspoke.”

“Oh,” she shrugged and closed her eyes again, “Love you.” 

Bucky swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Goodnight, Wanda.” 


End file.
